Nitefury:
Nice one op. But I'll make some corrections. It's Agbakpa and not Akpakpa. And Agbakpa is Ogoja while Afrike 1 (a.ka. Okpeche) is Bekwarra.

Point 1 and 2 I agree with you.

3. While I agree Calabar is the most developed, I beg to disagree with your other submissions. By land mass, Cross River is bigger than any three Southeastern states (you can think of) put together. Ugep, Ikom, Ogoja, and Obudu are the other urban areas and all with an appreciable form of development.

They are have very good town road network, running pipe borne water and functioning General hospitals with exception to Obudu (which has a better managed missionary hospital and some private clinics). All these towns have the best town planning you can think of. With regards to the time the state wakes up, even Kaduna doesn't come alive by 7am compared to the same Lagos. Also worthy of note is that 85% of villages (including Afrike 1 & 2) are accessible by tarred road networks.

4 and 5 on point.

6. Cross River is better than Abia and Ebonyi combined. Agreed that most state government schools are trash, the predominantly Catholic missionary schools are doing wonders and would give Lagos schools a run for their money

7. When you mention Boki, Beauty comes to the mind. In Cross River we have Boki girls and the Rest. Ogoja girl dey learn work where Boki girls dey. And you forgot to add that promiscuity is rife amongst them all.

8. This is so annoying. Especially in the northern part of the state. Even if na 25 years old die, Dem go party like say Dem wan die follow am.

9. Afrike palm wine na die.. The best ever

10. The number of joints in the state (especially the northern part) is more than all the schools combined. Them too like groove.

Madam I'm talking of Akpakpa in Bekwarra after Beten and before Abuana and not Abakpa (not Agbakpa) where Federal Science College and NTA Ogoja is located. Apart from Cali, only Ikom and Ogoja can qualify as modern towns. I like Ogoja a lot especially Igoli, Agiga and Abakpa. Nice roads, good drainage system and one thing I failed to mention before, neatness which is a generally observable feature of the state. In terms of beauty, I still prefer Ogoja to Boki girls. When I went to Boki east I was warned of their "ashawo" girls. Ogoja girls are more natural. How can I forget Grace in Igoli whose mother personally handed over to me. Burial? Gosh! That's something else. I don't know why people die like that. There was a time in Okpeche when for like a month, they were having like 3 burials a day. Once you hear the sound of siren, BURY DOWN don happen be that; you'll see the children very happy cos it means akpu and palm wine aplenty. You really know the state.

Wow.
Really impressed with your writing.
If only we could have a lot more of Corpers giving assessments of their service in various parts of Nigeria as objectively and as clearly as you have done.
I wish for you the very best.

Thanks for putting this thoughts together. The fluidity is a clear indication that your mind is fertile and sound. It will be good to see corps members who go to serve in other states also put same together. I like how you carefully unpacked the false impression that people have hitherto had of Calabar girls. What I also did not fail to notice was the fact that you purposefully moved around the state enough to know the people and the custom there.

I'll wish a corps member who served in Ekiti to also look into what I think should be a past glory of Ekiti - the claim that every household in the state has a professor.

Quick question though - Do you know if female circumcision is still a norm in Cross River, especially in the rural communities you have visited.

Weldone.

Bekwarra:
I served this nation in Cross River state for the mandatory one-year NYSC programme. I passed out on July 2nd 2015 (CR/14B). I served in Bekwarra Local Government Area; two schools located in Akpakpa and later Afrike 1. Being someone that loves travelling and seeing places, I moved around the state and was able to visit 15 of the state's 18 LGAs so I can say I know some things about the state. These are 10 of my observations in the state of The People's Paradise.

1. The people are warm and friendly
Cross Riverians are a warm and friendly people. They are accommodating and drawn to visitors. They are always ready to help you if they see that you are a new face there. This was evident from when we got to the NYSC camp at Obubra. They are always very ready to help and they feel easily drawn to visitors. Someone like me who's always slow and cautious when making friend was able to make a handful of friends in a short period of time. I've been to a few places in Nigeria but the people of Cross River are some of the most friendly.

2. They Are Great Cooks

I once told a friend over phone while still in Cross River that "bro if your life depends on food and you want to marry solely for food, please get a Cross River chick". That Cross River women are good cooks is an understatement. Their girls and women are experts in cooking. Cooking for them comes with ease. They have these tasty and delicious soups gosh they are fantastic. Back in Lagos we are all used to Calabar kitchens and we respect their soups but I'm telling you there is more to their delicacies than Calabar soups. Back in Bekwarra I enjoyed tasty soups like Oturukpa, Akum, groundnut soup and Beniseed soup. It was also in Ogoja that I ate plantain porridge; unripe plantain cooked with palm oil, bitter leaf, crayfish and dry fish. What a delicacy. Whenever you visit Cross River, make sure you eat their local meals. I'll recommend beniseed with akpu. Their akpu is strong and hard jeez; more like something you can use to deworm by stoning the worms inside you to death. I nicknamed one girl fufu pounder due to her dexterity in handling the pestle. Bekwarra people cant do without eating akpu in a day.

3. It's A Largely Rural State

The state is a largely rural state in all ramifications. Apart from Calabar and a few other towns like Ogoja, Ikom and to a lesser extent Akampka and Obudu, Cross River state is largely rural. There's not much on ground in terms of infrastructure, development and economic activities. The government should do more in terms of infrastructure. They should stop concentrating on Calabar and allow development to spread especially to the northern part of the state. For example I don't have verifiable data but I can say that from my observations, Ikeja LG has more banks than the whole state. Successive governments seem to be concentrating development in Calabar which is an impressive and beautiful city already. No hustling in the state, if you are not a farmer then you are a civil servant. There are few economic activities. Even in Calabar, the peeps move to neighbouring states and towns especially PH to hustle. You don't hustle in Calabar, you spend. The city is expensive yet few economic activities happening there afford the people little opportunity to hustle unlike other big cities in Nigeria. For example Calabar is still sleeping by 6am, few people and cars on the road by that time unlike Lagos which is awake and on its feet already by 4am. I once told one of the teachers in my school that you can be caught in traffic in Lagos by 5am and he turned me to a liar. To him it's strange.

4. There's More To The State Than Calabar

So many people see Cross River and Calabar as the same. I used to feel the same until I went there. The state is one of the most diverse in Nigeria with over 33 languages being spoken there. Most people back in Lagos that called me during my service year or chatted with me usually told me "guy I hear say u dey serve for Calabar". I'll only shake my head and smile thinking that "these people don't know I'll spend between 5-6hrs going to Calabar from here". There are other people with culture and languages different from that of the Efik people. There are Bekwarra, Afrike, Ogoja, Yala, Boki, Obubra, Obudu people to mention a few. For example Bekwarra and Afrike people are in the same local government but they have similar but different languages..

5. Agriculture Is A Way of Life
Many outsiders who have never been to the state before see it as a riverine state whose major source of life is fishing. Many people see Cross River as this state of fishermen who love carnivals and festivals. Except the coastal parts of Cross River South and Central, other parts of the state are largely agrarian. They are mostly farmers. They take agriculture seriously and they never joke with it both males and females. Cross Riverian kids are introduced to agriculture at a very early stage. They go to the farm with their parents. If their men are not on the farm making heaps or clearing the bush, they'll be on the palm tree tapping or in the bush hunting. Their women are not left out; they are either planting cassava, peeling cassava and making garri, making palm oil (well refined) or back home preparing akpu and soup. These industrious people love agriculture a lot and this is responsible for cheap food. Food is so cheap and with a little amount, you can eat to your satisfaction with the exception of Calabar obviously. They have food and farm products in abundance and at cheap prices. One of the things I cherish most about them is that they are hard workers. I respect them a lot.
The government still needs to help them a lot in the area of improved seeds, fertilizers, mechanized farming (almost non-existent) and to stem the scourge of Fulani herdsmen (I witnessed a lot of confrontations between the villagers and the nomads)

6. Backward Educationally
This is a general problem in Nigeria. Education in this country is a joke but some states are still better than others. I can't vouch for any northern state but in the context of southern states, education in Cross River still has some catching up to do. I can't say for South East and South South states but placing Cross River state beside South Western states, there is a very big gulf. Education is not really taken serious us here and the government also is not really helping matters in this regard. Their children and parents don't take education serious and the few who do are not encouraged by the government. Majority of schools in the rural parts depend on corp members for staff strength. The quality of education is low and examination malpractice is rampant and encouraged. I can recollect my VP once telling the students to learn how to write fast when note is being dictated because during their external exam nobody will slow down for them when answers are being dictated. The bitter truth is, the state still have a long way to go in terms of education.

7. Calabar Girls Are Not The Real Deal
Whenever you mention Cross River, Calabar comes to mind and merely hearing Calabar, two things come to mind; their soups and girls. Many people do have the erroneous belief that Cali girls are so beautiful, exotic and refined more than any other in the state. Although, Cali girls are more popular and more exposed but when it comes to beauty, I'll unequivocally give it to Ogoja girls especially those of Igoli and Ishibori. They are beautiful in the pure and real sense of it. They are ravishing, homely and naturally beautiful. Worthy of note are also some Bekwarra girls (not many), Ikom, Boki, Obudu and Obubra girls.

8. They Love Burial Ceremonies
This is one of the highlights of many villages. Burial is only second to Christmas. Burial ceremonies are big occasions. Naming and wedding ceremonies are more of rarity but burial ceremonies are the big deal. The whole place is always agog with preparations and they spend a lot on it. They don't like burying their dead outside their villages so they don't mind bringing them in from other parts of the country where they died. Their burials last for weeks or more at times. Although I didn't witness any naming ceremony and only witnessed a single wedding ceremony, I witness lots of burial ceremonies which not only for old people. A 30-year old man's burial will see food being cooked and guests been fed.

9. They Have The Best Palm Wine
One of the things that made me enjoy my stay in Cross River is palm wine. Cross River especially the northern part is a land of palm wine. If you've been there before, you can't but attest to the fact that they have superb palm wine. I'll say it's the best in Nigeria. I had many drunken days there. My students spoilt me with it, my VP being a tapper too was also culpable. They have two varieties; the up one and the down one. The up one is fresher, richer and definitely costlier. It is the one that's tapped from the top of the palm tree. The down one is cheaper but greatly more intoxicating. You get drunk easily while drinking it. It's gotten from palm trees that have already been cut down. You can get the best palm wine in places like Afrike (Bekwarra), Mbube (Ogoja), Okpoma (Yala) and Obudu. They have it in abundance and it is cheap.

10. They love to enjoy themselves. No matter how poor this people are, they still find time to enjoy themselves. They love dancing to a fault and not only that, they are expert dancers. Gosh these people can dance. The way they wiggle their bodies is something else even the small ones among them. They love their ceremonies and most especially new yam festival. The Calabar Carnival is a shining crown on all their festivals. There are lots of other festivals and events to witness in Cross River. Sundays are always bubbling even the most rural villages. People go out to drink, see friends, hold meetings and unwind. In short they love to unwind and enjoy themselves. Their Christianity does not stop them from drinking and making merry.

Other notable observations are that they are generally Christian mostly Catholics and Assemblies of God members, it is a very big state, only Oyo state is bigger in southern Nigeria, there are some parts where you'll have a foot in Nigeria and the other in Cameroun (there are some parts in Lagos state where you won't know whether you are in Lagos or Ogun state, the same is applicable in Cross River), life is serene and generally peaceful, no hold ups, no shouting and cursing and the hustle and bustle of city life, if you've never seen a witch in real life go to some parts of Bekwarra like Ebegang and Anyikang, nature is at its best here with nice scenery.
These are my observations of about a year that I spent in the state. My stay their was enjoyable and fulfilling, a few disappointments and a lot of memorable moments. I'll love to visit the state again. I may be wrong in some of my observations but those are the things I observed as a CrossKopa who served in Bekwarra and was able to visit 15 out of 18LGs. Your views are welcome from both indigenes and non-indigenes.

Jalubarika:
I really need to applaud you for this write-up about Calabar esp. Northern part of Cross River where I once worked .
I worked in Bekwara, Yala and Ogoja and I must say my stay was memorable and interesting
However, you made mention of Ishibori girls being so beautiful ,for me it's a big blunder.
1. Yala Girls are more educated ,beautiful and fun to be with besides Ishibori girls.
2. Ishibori girls prefers the Locals and Hausa to sleep with them for money.(hope you've heard of Hausa/Ishibori)
3. You got it right when u made mention of Afrike palmwine, esp. Ukpah market palmy
4. Bekwara is a small town without an Upstair. Quote me anywhere.
5. If you never see witch or chop witch before , go to bekwara.

It would have made sense if we knew each other when I was still working there.
I know you tasted all the good good living things on Mission Road in Igoli. esp. Ishibori
To serve in Bekwara and come back is not easy, not for the witch thing but because the place is 6 hours away from Civilization.

Well done. Best of Luck in your future Endeavours.

You nailed it bro. You remind me of when one Hausa guy on Obudu street waylaid me at night and warned me to stay off his chick. Imagine o because the guy get Suzuki 120 wey he dey use rock the girl. The girl come see Lagos boy to ta lenu, the guy they para dey tell me say he go stab me. About that of storey building, I stayed six months in Bewkarra and I didn't for once see a storey building in the whole LG until I got to Afrike. Ask for Benji (share the money) house in Okpeche-Afrike. The house is a wonder, the man is stupendously rich and a politician in Benin Republic. A power broke in CR North. The senator representing CR North Legor Idagbo is his boy.

I think I should write one about Kwara state... God grant me the grace to finish it!

ukandi1:


So that u can exploit my sisters for free abi? Make I catch u there...

My broda, nothing is for free oh. Either u pay up front with recharge card, drinks, (and the "help me buy medicine for my dying mother" fund), or you pay later with kudi and transport fee.

I just wanted to do my part and contribute to the Rivers economy

I disagree with this, op! I served in Obanliku LGA. The only bank in Obanliku LGA is GTB, and it is located at the cattle ranch. Obudu town has Eco bank on ranch road, First bank on Calabar road, close to Bekpam layout; and Zenith bank inside FCE Obudu. Any Obudu or Obanliku corps member can verify this.

Of the delicacies, you failed to mention Afang soup, and pawpaw soup. Afang is my best of all their menu. Did you eat Abuochiche moimoi while you were there?

For palm wine, I tasted from both Obanliku and Obudu LGA (Bayalele, Bayatu, Bassang, okolo Obudu, begiak, ipong, and Kakum, I must say, they were good. I visited Afrike twice with a friend.

Yala girls are beautiful! Destiny comes to mind. I wished she had a daughter for me .

I'm happy I served there. I left an indelible mark with my personal CDs project that fetched me Governor's award.

Bekwarra:

Bro you nailed it. Provisions and groceries stores there are owned by Igbos. Many of my students will never think beyond secondary school and even that one na by force. Whenever I ask them for which university they'll like to attend, their response is always "no o me I no fit trouble myself, you know say una Yoruba una too like book." On the part of development being concentrated in a particular place, remove Calabar and Cross River won't even come close to Osun. Corpers in Boki, Ogoja, Yala, Obudu and Bekwarra bank with Diamond in Igoli. No banks in those local government except that of Ogoja. Ikom, Akamkpa, Ogoja, Obanliku and Calabar are fair.

Bekwarra:
I served this nation in Cross River state for the mandatory one-year NYSC programme. I passed out on July 2nd 2015 (CR/14B). I served in Bekwarra Local Government Area; two schools located in Akpakpa and later Afrike 1. Being someone that loves travelling and seeing places, I moved around the state and was able to visit 15 of the state's 18 LGAs so I can say I know some things about the state. These are 10 of my observations in the state of The People's Paradise.

1. The people are warm and friendly
Cross Riverians are a warm and friendly people. They are accommodating and drawn to visitors. They are always ready to help you if they see that you are a new face there. This was evident from when we got to the NYSC camp at Obubra. They are always very ready to help and they feel easily drawn to visitors. Someone like me who's always slow and cautious when making friend was able to make a handful of friends in a short period of time. I've been to a few places in Nigeria but the people of Cross River are some of the most friendly.

2. They Are Great Cooks

I once told a friend over phone while still in Cross River that "bro if your life depends on food and you want to marry solely for food, please get a Cross River chick". That Cross River women are good cooks is an understatement. Their girls and women are experts in cooking. Cooking for them comes with ease. They have these tasty and delicious soups gosh they are fantastic. Back in Lagos we are all used to Calabar kitchens and we respect their soups but I'm telling you there is more to their delicacies than Calabar soups. Back in Bekwarra I enjoyed tasty soups like Oturukpa, Akum, groundnut soup and Beniseed soup. It was also in Ogoja that I ate plantain porridge; unripe plantain cooked with palm oil, bitter leaf, crayfish and dry fish. What a delicacy. Whenever you visit Cross River, make sure you eat their local meals. I'll recommend beniseed with akpu. Their akpu is strong and hard jeez; more like something you can use to deworm by stoning the worms inside you to death. I nicknamed one girl fufu pounder due to her dexterity in handling the pestle. Bekwarra people cant do without eating akpu in a day.

3. It's A Largely Rural State

The state is a largely rural state in all ramifications. Apart from Calabar and a few other towns like Ogoja, Ikom and to a lesser extent Akampka and Obudu, Cross River state is largely rural. There's not much on ground in terms of infrastructure, development and economic activities. The government should do more in terms of infrastructure. They should stop concentrating on Calabar and allow development to spread especially to the northern part of the state. For example I don't have verifiable data but I can say that from my observations, Ikeja LG has more banks than the whole state. Successive governments seem to be concentrating development in Calabar which is an impressive and beautiful city already. No hustling in the state, if you are not a farmer then you are a civil servant. There are few economic activities. Even in Calabar, the peeps move to neighbouring states and towns especially PH to hustle. You don't hustle in Calabar, you spend. The city is expensive yet few economic activities happening there afford the people little opportunity to hustle unlike other big cities in Nigeria. For example Calabar is still sleeping by 6am, few people and cars on the road by that time unlike Lagos which is awake and on its feet already by 4am. I once told one of the teachers in my school that you can be caught in traffic in Lagos by 5am and he turned me to a liar. To him it's strange.

4. There's More To The State Than Calabar

So many people see Cross River and Calabar as the same. I used to feel the same until I went there. The state is one of the most diverse in Nigeria with over 33 languages being spoken there. Most people back in Lagos that called me during my service year or chatted with me usually told me "guy I hear say u dey serve for Calabar". I'll only shake my head and smile thinking that "these people don't know I'll spend between 5-6hrs going to Calabar from here". There are other people with culture and languages different from that of the Efik people. There are Bekwarra, Afrike, Ogoja, Yala, Boki, Obubra, Obudu people to mention a few. For example Bekwarra and Afrike people are in the same local government but they have similar but different languages..

5. Agriculture Is A Way of Life
Many outsiders who have never been to the state before see it as a riverine state whose major source of life is fishing. Many people see Cross River as this state of fishermen who love carnivals and festivals. Except the coastal parts of Cross River South and Central, other parts of the state are largely agrarian. They are mostly farmers. They take agriculture seriously and they never joke with it both males and females. Cross Riverian kids are introduced to agriculture at a very early stage. They go to the farm with their parents. If their men are not on the farm making heaps or clearing the bush, they'll be on the palm tree tapping or in the bush hunting. Their women are not left out; they are either planting cassava, peeling cassava and making garri, making palm oil (well refined) or back home preparing akpu and soup. These industrious people love agriculture a lot and this is responsible for cheap food. Food is so cheap and with a little amount, you can eat to your satisfaction with the exception of Calabar obviously. They have food and farm products in abundance and at cheap prices. One of the things I cherish most about them is that they are hard workers. I respect them a lot.
The government still needs to help them a lot in the area of improved seeds, fertilizers, mechanized farming (almost non-existent) and to stem the scourge of Fulani herdsmen (I witnessed a lot of confrontations between the villagers and the nomads)

6. Backward Educationally
This is a general problem in Nigeria. Education in this country is a joke but some states are still better than others. I can't vouch for any northern state but in the context of southern states, education in Cross River still has some catching up to do. I can't say for South East and South South states but placing Cross River state beside South Western states, there is a very big gulf. Education is not really taken serious us here and the government also is not really helping matters in this regard. Their children and parents don't take education serious and the few who do are not encouraged by the government. Majority of schools in the rural parts depend on corp members for staff strength. The quality of education is low and examination malpractice is rampant and encouraged. I can recollect my VP once telling the students to learn how to write fast when note is being dictated because during their external exam nobody will slow down for them when answers are being dictated. The bitter truth is, the state still have a long way to go in terms of education.

7. Calabar Girls Are Not The Real Deal
Whenever you mention Cross River, Calabar comes to mind and merely hearing Calabar, two things come to mind; their soups and girls. Many people do have the erroneous belief that Cali girls are so beautiful, exotic and refined more than any other in the state. Although, Cali girls are more popular and more exposed but when it comes to beauty, I'll unequivocally give it to Ogoja girls especially those of Igoli and Ishibori. They are beautiful in the pure and real sense of it. They are ravishing, homely and naturally beautiful. Worthy of note are also some Bekwarra girls (not many), Ikom, Boki, Obudu and Obubra girls.

8. They Love Burial Ceremonies
This is one of the highlights of many villages. Burial is only second to Christmas. Burial ceremonies are big occasions. Naming and wedding ceremonies are more of rarity but burial ceremonies are the big deal. The whole place is always agog with preparations and they spend a lot on it. They don't like burying their dead outside their villages so they don't mind bringing them in from other parts of the country where they died. Their burials last for weeks or more at times. Although I didn't witness any naming ceremony and only witnessed a single wedding ceremony, I witness lots of burial ceremonies which not only for old people. A 30-year old man's burial will see food being cooked and guests been fed.

9. They Have The Best Palm Wine
One of the things that made me enjoy my stay in Cross River is palm wine. Cross River especially the northern part is a land of palm wine. If you've been there before, you can't but attest to the fact that they have superb palm wine. I'll say it's the best in Nigeria. I had many drunken days there. My students spoilt me with it, my VP being a tapper too was also culpable. They have two varieties; the up one and the down one. The up one is fresher, richer and definitely costlier. It is the one that's tapped from the top of the palm tree. The down one is cheaper but greatly more intoxicating. You get drunk easily while drinking it. It's gotten from palm trees that have already been cut down. You can get the best palm wine in places like Afrike (Bekwarra), Mbube (Ogoja), Okpoma (Yala) and Obudu. They have it in abundance and it is cheap.

10. They love to enjoy themselves. No matter how poor this people are, they still find time to enjoy themselves. They love dancing to a fault and not only that, they are expert dancers. Gosh these people can dance. The way they wiggle their bodies is something else even the small ones among them. They love their ceremonies and most especially new yam festival. The Calabar Carnival is a shining crown on all their festivals. There are lots of other festivals and events to witness in Cross River. Sundays are always bubbling even the most rural villages. People go out to drink, see friends, hold meetings and unwind. In short they love to unwind and enjoy themselves. Their Christianity does not stop them from drinking and making merry.

Other notable observations are that they are generally Christian mostly Catholics and Assemblies of God members, it is a very big state, only Oyo state is bigger in southern Nigeria, there are some parts where you'll have a foot in Nigeria and the other in Cameroun (there are some parts in Lagos state where you won't know whether you are in Lagos or Ogun state, the same is applicable in Cross River), life is serene and generally peaceful, no hold ups, no shouting and cursing and the hustle and bustle of city life, if you've never seen a witch in real life go to some parts of Bekwarra like Ebegang and Anyikang, nature is at its best here with nice scenery.
These are my observations of about a year that I spent in the state. My stay their was enjoyable and fulfilling, a few disappointments and a lot of memorable moments. I'll love to visit the state again. I may be wrong in some of my observations but those are the things I observed as a CrossKopa who served in Bekwarra and was able to visit 15 out of 18LGs. Your views are welcome from both indigenes and non-indigenes.

11. The Men are very lazy.. The women of the state are more hard working than the men.

12. The state has no real economic potential. As a fresh graduate, the opportunities in the sate are next to none.

UNKNOWNSOJA:
These observations are spot on. coincidentally, I served with the Op in the same community in Bekwarra (Abuana/Apakpa). My service year remains the wildest period of my life. I explored to the fullest. I toured all but Bakassi LGA of the state. I remember my first trip to Obudu ranch, on Peter's bike, a student in the sch I taught,...I was wow! My mind was blown by the beauty of the ranch...my sim changed from MTN NG to MTN CAM...Cameroon... so close to Cameroon. I had to invite bae from Lagos so we could visit together.... glad she had a blast! If you love nature...You ought to visit that place before you die.... My favorite part of living in Bekwarra was the fresh unequalled undiluted palmie....straight from the source... Gosh! Imagine taking palmie early momo before going to teach your students... wey be say dem self don dey OK before dem come sch...mehn...una go just synchronize...dey float for class...anything wey you teach them, ask them...Do you understand?...Yes Sir! No time to check time. I still have a Family in Bekwarra... The ADIE Family. I love them wholeheartedly, they love me like a son. I ate 3 square meal on the same table with the family... wen food don...dey go call me ' Corper Wale food don done o'. The whole family shed tears the day they organized a small sent forth for me...Op cried too...lol...I cried too...I remember Corper Endurance weeping like a baby...mehn...the bond was so strong. That's the essence of NYSC if you ask me. I played my part to develop the community through my CDS Project....as I was the President of my CDS then...Op too contributed his part in building the community. didn't witness a single wedding ceremony. Burial...called Bury....is a way of life in that part of the world...People dey die like chicken...Bury is always celebrated in a Big way, irrespective of who died. Akpu must be eaten daily, otherwise they will fall sick...lol...Education is not taken seriously as we do here in the west. Somebody is always giving somebody belle...lol. Their girls like Corpers naturally... Maybe its the Uniform...lol...Mothers always trust corpers with their daughters. I ate Dog meat for the first time in this community...Snake meat too....ahh...i hate snake...but, i love the meat..#Peppered!. They love football...They love intellectuals..if you are one, they will all shut up and listen to you when you are talking....They also have their bad sides...but, who doesn't? ..I didn't even miss lag all through. Will I serve in Bekwarra again? YES!!! Incidentally, i just got off the phone with one member of the ADIE family. Dolapo God bless you for this post....You made me reminisce this afternoon...I still shed a tear...don't even know why....and I don't know this people from Adam....God bless NYSC for this priceless opportunity!

Oya tuale baba. Icorper wetin dey sup. The one and only Corper Wale of Abuana/Akpakpa reach Abuochiche. I miss that place o like die. I miss it everyday. Lovely people with a big heart, accommodating and welcoming. No matter how poor they are, they are ready to give you out of the little they have. I've never for once regretted being their. I love the place and it's people, so many sweet memories. Baba I no fit forget your face off with our VP and your own principal. Too much mind walahi. I failed to mention that the most common surname in CR north is OKO, the same pronunciation with the Yoruba word for preek. My VP's name was Miss Oko Mary, funny die. We joking called her Miss Oko. MTN Cameroon showed on ur phones when we went to Obudu Cattle Ranch after POP. We went there on bike. We finished one keg of palmie before going. Na only God talk say we no go die that day. Corper Wale the adopted son of the ADIEs, God bless you bro.

IceMan85:
I served in Akamkpa lg. I still miss that city. Their women and soup.
They don't believe in working hard rather they believe in enjoying every day. Their girls are so good in bedmatics but not like Igbo girls.
They prefer burial to Christmas.
And before I forget, no v**gn in that place only the newly born ;Dborn .




I really enjoyed my stay in CR

Funny a student once told me "corpo virgin no dey dis our village, you see all these small girls wey you see, dem like preek like food, if you wan Bleep dem just give dem indomie." The next day Tope went to Igoli to get a carton of golden penny noodles. May God forgive Tope.

c2far:
Thanks for putting this thoughts together. The fluidity is a clear indication that your mind is fertile and sound. It will be good to see corps members who go to serve in other states also put same together. I like how you carefully unpacked the false impression that people have hitherto had of Calabar girls. What I also did not fail to notice was the fact that you purposefully moved around the state enough to know the people and the custom there.

I'll wish a corps member who served in Ekiti to also look into what I think should be a past glory of Ekiti - the claim that every household in the state has a professor.

Quick question though - Do you know if female circumcision is still a norm in Cross River, especially in the rural communities you have visited.

Weldone.

I never heard of that

Nitefury:
Nice one op. But I'll make some corrections. It's Agbakpa and not Akpakpa. And Agbakpa is Ogoja while Afrike 1 (a.ka. Okpeche) is Bekwarra.

Point 1 and 2 I agree with you.

3. While I agree Calabar is the most developed, I beg to disagree with your other submissions. By land mass, Cross River is bigger than any three Southeastern states (you can think of) put together. Ugep, Ikom, Ogoja, and Obudu are the other urban areas and all with an appreciable form of development.

They are have very good town road network, running pipe borne water and functioning General hospitals with exception to Obudu (which has a better managed missionary hospital and some private clinics). All these towns have the best town planning you can think of. With regards to the time the state wakes up, even Kaduna doesn't come alive by 7am compared to the same Lagos. Also worthy of note is that 85% of villages (including Afrike 1 & 2) are accessible by tarred road networks.

4 and 5 on point.

6. Cross River is better than Abia and Ebonyi combined. Agreed that most state government schools are trash, the predominantly Catholic missionary schools are doing wonders and would give Lagos schools a run for their money

7. When you mention Boki, Beauty comes to the mind. In Cross River we have Boki girls and the Rest. Ogoja girl dey learn work where Boki girls dey. And you forgot to add that promiscuity is rife amongst them all.

8. This is so annoying. Especially in the northern part of the state. Even if na 25 years old die, Dem go party like say Dem wan die follow am.

9. Afrike palm wine na die.. The best ever

10. The number of joints in the state (especially the northern part) is more than all the schools combined. Them too like groove.

I love your response and your number 10 is quite hilarious.

Nice one op. But I'll make some corrections. It's Agbakpa and not Akpakpa. And Agbakpa is Ogoja while Afrike 1 (a.ka. Okpeche) is Bekwarra.

Point 1 and 2 I agree with you.

3. While I agree Calabar is the most developed, I beg to disagree with your other submissions. By land mass, Cross River is bigger than any three Southeastern states (you can think of) put together. Ugep, Ikom, Ogoja, and Obudu are the other urban areas and all with an appreciable form of development.

They are have very good town road network, running pipe borne water and functioning General hospitals with exception to Obudu (which has a better managed missionary hospital and some private clinics). All these towns have the best town planning you can think of. With regards to the time the state wakes up, even Kaduna doesn't come alive by 7am compared to the same Lagos. Also worthy of note is that 85% of villages (including Afrike 1 & 2) are accessible by tarred road networks.

4 and 5 on point.

6. Cross River is better than Abia and Ebonyi combined. Agreed that most state government schools are trash, the predominantly Catholic missionary schools are doing wonders and would give Lagos schools a run for their money

7. When you mention Boki, Beauty comes to the mind. In Cross River we have Boki girls and the Rest. Ogoja girl dey learn work where Boki girls dey. And you forgot to add that promiscuity is rife amongst them all.

8. This is so annoying. Especially in the northern part of the state. Even if na 25 years old die, Dem go party like say Dem wan die follow am.

9. Afrike palm wine na die.. The best ever

10. The number of joints in the state (especially the northern part) is more than all the schools combined. Them too like groove.

[/quote]
I love your response and your number 10 is quite hilarious.

niyogeol:
I disagree with this, op! I served in Obanliku LGA. The only bank in Obanliku LGA is GTB, and it is located at the cattle ranch. Obudu town has Eco bank on ranch road, First bank on Calabar road, close to Bekpam layout; and Zenith bank inside FCE Obudu. Any Obudu or Obanliku corps member can verify this.

Of the delicacies, you failed to mention Afang soup, and pawpaw soup. Afang is my best of all their menu. Did you eat Abuochiche moimoi while you were there?

For palm wine, I tasted from both Obanliku and Obudu LGA (Bayalele, Bayatu, Bassang, okolo Obudu, begiak, ipong, and Kakum, I must say, they were good. I visited Afrike twice with a friend.

Yala girls are beautiful! Destiny comes to mind. I wished she had a daughter for me .

I'm happy I served there. I left an indelible mark with my personal CDs project that fetched me Governor's award.

You said you disagree with me and you failed to say on what. If it's about banks. I wrote a bank which served corpers in 5 LGs. We used Diamond bank for our account then and which other diamond bank is located around there apart from that of Igoli. I know of the GTB in Obanliku because UNKNOWNSOJA once spent 1k (to and fro) to go and withdraw I think 1500 or 2k at the GTB. About Abuochiche moi moi it's rubbish. That thing wey be like stone wey no come sweet join. Their moi moi and akara na rubbish. Akara wey no get pepper. Dem dey grind beans turn am to powder. Dem go come add water to turn am come fry. After frying dem go sprinkle powder pepper on top. The moi moi na stone.

Anijay1212:

I love your response and your number 10 is quite hilarious.

Thanks boss. It's funny but so true..

hrykanu231:
About education, we all know the western part of this country embraced education early so also the core south south of which cross river is also a state therein.
peeps here take education seriously, just take away the south west who as far as d nation Nigeria is concerned lead in education. Cross river state is far ahead of most states in d south east, north central, not to even talk of the core northern states. Although, as always there's still room for improvement, hence we strive for more academically

Where is your evidence to prove that cross river and in deed any region is better than south east educationally ?

fairheven:


better than Abia and Ebonyi combined?
what has that got to do with the topic?

a state that is amongst "educationally disadvantaged" is what you are comparing with Abia, u dey smoke

Oga when I saw this I was short of words. In which area is cross river better than Abia, is it in Education, development, commerce and industry? Calabar is very beautiful which i can not dispute. Calabar is more beautiful than Aba and even Umuahia but Aba is more developed and advanced than calabar, Umuahia is beautiful on it's own.

Abia state is very developed, beside Aba and Umuahia, Abia state has many cities and towns like Ohaofia, Abiriba, Arochukwu, uzoakoli, Uturu, Azumiri, Bende etc.

Cross river is better than Abia in the area of tourism but can't compete with Abia in the area of education, development(esp. rural development) commerce and industry.

People that served in the two states can bear me witness.

Oops, sorry I failed to mention my disagreement with you is on the bank issue.

If you think Abuochichie moimoi is strong, then you need to have a taste of the moimoi and Akara being served by FGC Lagos, where I had my formative years.

Akpu is their life! They can eat it 24/7 365 days.

Bekwarra:

You said you disagree with me and you failed to say on what. If it's about banks. I wrote a bank which served corpers in 5 LGs. We used Diamond bank for our account then and which other diamond bank is located around there apart from that of Igoli. I know of the GTB in Obanliku because UNKNOWNSOJA once spent 1k (to and fro) to go and withdraw I think 1500 or 2k at the GTB. About Abuochiche moi moi it's rubbish. That thing wey be like stone wey no come sweet join. Their moi moi and akara na rubbish. Akara wey no get pepper. Dem dey grind beans turn am to powder. Dem go come add water to turn am come fry. After frying dem go sprinkle powder pepper on top. The moi moi na stone.

There are great cook. That reminds me of Linda that girl dey cook for Africa...... Really missed her food.

Hmmm how time flies. I served in bekwarra(Ukpah)14C. I agree with every point op made. I will surely go back to visit again.
It was one hell of an experience.

GodblessUkpahpeople
Godblesscrossriver
GodblessNigeria.

achu442:


Range??.....That's the reason you have never won bet9ja......Wrong picks!!!

Range??.....That's the reason you have never won bet9ja......Wrong picks!!!

ok thnks

Bekwarra:
I served this nation in Cross River state for the mandatory one-year NYSC programme. I passed out on July 2nd 2015 (CR/14B). I served in Bekwarra Local Government Area; two schools located in Akpakpa and later Afrike 1. Being someone that loves travelling and seeing places, I moved around the state and was able to visit 15 of the state's 18 LGAs so I can say I know some things about the state. These are 10 of my observations in the state of The People's Paradise.

1. The people are warm and friendly
Cross Riverians are a warm and friendly people. They are accommodating and drawn to visitors. They are always ready to help you if they see that you are a new face there. This was evident from when we got to the NYSC camp at Obubra. They are always very ready to help and they feel easily drawn to visitors. Someone like me who's always slow and cautious when making friend was able to make a handful of friends in a short period of time. I've been to a few places in Nigeria but the people of Cross River are some of the most friendly.

2. They Are Great Cooks

I once told a friend over phone while still in Cross River that "bro if your life depends on food and you want to marry solely for food, please get a Cross River chick". That Cross River women are good cooks is an understatement. Their girls and women are experts in cooking. Cooking for them comes with ease. They have these tasty and delicious soups gosh they are fantastic. Back in Lagos we are all used to Calabar kitchens and we respect their soups but I'm telling you there is more to their delicacies than Calabar soups. Back in Bekwarra I enjoyed tasty soups like Oturukpa, Akum, groundnut soup and Beniseed soup. It was also in Ogoja that I ate plantain porridge; unripe plantain cooked with palm oil, bitter leaf, crayfish and dry fish. What a delicacy. Whenever you visit Cross River, make sure you eat their local meals. I'll recommend beniseed with akpu. Their akpu is strong and hard jeez; more like something you can use to deworm by stoning the worms inside you to death. I nicknamed one girl fufu pounder due to her dexterity in handling the pestle. Bekwarra people cant do without eating akpu in a day.

3. It's A Largely Rural State

The state is a largely rural state in all ramifications. Apart from Calabar and a few other towns like Ogoja, Ikom and to a lesser extent Akampka and Obudu, Cross River state is largely rural. There's not much on ground in terms of infrastructure, development and economic activities. The government should do more in terms of infrastructure. They should stop concentrating on Calabar and allow development to spread especially to the northern part of the state. For example I don't have verifiable data but I can say that from my observations, Ikeja LG has more banks than the whole state. Successive governments seem to be concentrating development in Calabar which is an impressive and beautiful city already. No hustling in the state, if you are not a farmer then you are a civil servant. There are few economic activities. Even in Calabar, the peeps move to neighbouring states and towns especially PH to hustle. You don't hustle in Calabar, you spend. The city is expensive yet few economic activities happening there afford the people little opportunity to hustle unlike other big cities in Nigeria. For example Calabar is still sleeping by 6am, few people and cars on the road by that time unlike Lagos which is awake and on its feet already by 4am. I once told one of the teachers in my school that you can be caught in traffic in Lagos by 5am and he turned me to a liar. To him it's strange.

4. There's More To The State Than Calabar

So many people see Cross River and Calabar as the same. I used to feel the same until I went there. The state is one of the most diverse in Nigeria with over 33 languages being spoken there. Most people back in Lagos that called me during my service year or chatted with me usually told me "guy I hear say u dey serve for Calabar". I'll only shake my head and smile thinking that "these people don't know I'll spend between 5-6hrs going to Calabar from here". There are other people with culture and languages different from that of the Efik people. There are Bekwarra, Afrike, Ogoja, Yala, Boki, Obubra, Obudu people to mention a few. For example Bekwarra and Afrike people are in the same local government but they have similar but different languages..

5. Agriculture Is A Way of Life
Many outsiders who have never been to the state before see it as a riverine state whose major source of life is fishing. Many people see Cross River as this state of fishermen who love carnivals and festivals. Except the coastal parts of Cross River South and Central, other parts of the state are largely agrarian. They are mostly farmers. They take agriculture seriously and they never joke with it both males and females. Cross Riverian kids are introduced to agriculture at a very early stage. They go to the farm with their parents. If their men are not on the farm making heaps or clearing the bush, they'll be on the palm tree tapping or in the bush hunting. Their women are not left out; they are either planting cassava, peeling cassava and making garri, making palm oil (well refined) or back home preparing akpu and soup. These industrious people love agriculture a lot and this is responsible for cheap food. Food is so cheap and with a little amount, you can eat to your satisfaction with the exception of Calabar obviously. They have food and farm products in abundance and at cheap prices. One of the things I cherish most about them is that they are hard workers. I respect them a lot.
The government still needs to help them a lot in the area of improved seeds, fertilizers, mechanized farming (almost non-existent) and to stem the scourge of Fulani herdsmen (I witnessed a lot of confrontations between the villagers and the nomads)

6. Backward Educationally
This is a general problem in Nigeria. Education in this country is a joke but some states are still better than others. I can't vouch for any northern state but in the context of southern states, education in Cross River still has some catching up to do. I can't say for South East and South South states but placing Cross River state beside South Western states, there is a very big gulf. Education is not really taken serious us here and the government also is not really helping matters in this regard. Their children and parents don't take education serious and the few who do are not encouraged by the government. Majority of schools in the rural parts depend on corp members for staff strength. The quality of education is low and examination malpractice is rampant and encouraged. I can recollect my VP once telling the students to learn how to write fast when note is being dictated because during their external exam nobody will slow down for them when answers are being dictated. The bitter truth is, the state still have a long way to go in terms of education.

7. Calabar Girls Are Not The Real Deal
Whenever you mention Cross River, Calabar comes to mind and merely hearing Calabar, two things come to mind; their soups and girls. Many people do have the erroneous belief that Cali girls are so beautiful, exotic and refined more than any other in the state. Although, Cali girls are more popular and more exposed but when it comes to beauty, I'll unequivocally give it to Ogoja girls especially those of Igoli and Ishibori. They are beautiful in the pure and real sense of it. They are ravishing, homely and naturally beautiful. Worthy of note are also some Bekwarra girls (not many), Ikom, Boki, Obudu and Obubra girls.

8. They Love Burial Ceremonies
This is one of the highlights of many villages. Burial is only second to Christmas. Burial ceremonies are big occasions. Naming and wedding ceremonies are more of rarity but burial ceremonies are the big deal. The whole place is always agog with preparations and they spend a lot on it. They don't like burying their dead outside their villages so they don't mind bringing them in from other parts of the country where they died. Their burials last for weeks or more at times. Although I didn't witness any naming ceremony and only witnessed a single wedding ceremony, I witness lots of burial ceremonies which not only for old people. A 30-year old man's burial will see food being cooked and guests been fed.

9. They Have The Best Palm Wine
One of the things that made me enjoy my stay in Cross River is palm wine. Cross River especially the northern part is a land of palm wine. If you've been there before, you can't but attest to the fact that they have superb palm wine. I'll say it's the best in Nigeria. I had many drunken days there. My students spoilt me with it, my VP being a tapper too was also culpable. They have two varieties; the up one and the down one. The up one is fresher, richer and definitely costlier. It is the one that's tapped from the top of the palm tree. The down one is cheaper but greatly more intoxicating. You get drunk easily while drinking it. It's gotten from palm trees that have already been cut down. You can get the best palm wine in places like Afrike (Bekwarra), Mbube (Ogoja), Okpoma (Yala) and Obudu. They have it in abundance and it is cheap.

10. They love to enjoy themselves. No matter how poor this people are, they still find time to enjoy themselves. They love dancing to a fault and not only that, they are expert dancers. Gosh these people can dance. The way they wiggle their bodies is something else even the small ones among them. They love their ceremonies and most especially new yam festival. The Calabar Carnival is a shining crown on all their festivals. There are lots of other festivals and events to witness in Cross River. Sundays are always bubbling even the most rural villages. People go out to drink, see friends, hold meetings and unwind. In short they love to unwind and enjoy themselves. Their Christianity does not stop them from drinking and making merry.

Other notable observations are that they are generally Christian mostly Catholics and Assemblies of God members, it is a very big state, only Oyo state is bigger in southern Nigeria, there are some parts where you'll have a foot in Nigeria and the other in Cameroun (there are some parts in Lagos state where you won't know whether you are in Lagos or Ogun state, the same is applicable in Cross River), life is serene and generally peaceful, no hold ups, no shouting and cursing and the hustle and bustle of city life, if you've never seen a witch in real life go to some parts of Bekwarra like Ebegang and Anyikang, nature is at its best here with nice scenery.
These are my observations of about a year that I spent in the state. My stay their was enjoyable and fulfilling, a few disappointments and a lot of memorable moments. I'll love to visit the state again. I may be wrong in some of my observations but those are the things I observed as a CrossKopa who served in Bekwarra and was able to visit 15 out of 18LGs. Your views are welcome from both indigenes and non-indigenes.

This post is so right I served in bansara, ogoja. N transport fee to igoli from bansara is close #1000 n I have to go 2 clearance. To clarify us all it was July 5th nt 2nd...
You forget to mention that an average women in cross river is slim shade.... U hardly find a fat woman (calabar nt included).
The average age of having sex is 12 years of age....N early marriage is a norm there.....

I almost redeployed because of ishibori girls...truth to God...

unite4real:
No9 is not true until you have tasted nsukka and otukpa palm wines from enugu and benue respectively

I de always hear about them too o. U don taste am bfore? I tink i have. dia wine must really be good den.

I rep Bekwarra............


We no dey carry las.

Good observer! I passed out in the year 2014.
I agreed with the majority of your points
Thanks for that

Corper! Yes oooo! You actually came to Cross River State!

mobile.facebook.com/BekwarraYouthInternational/

Bekwarra:

Bros burial for Cross River na another thing o. Na for their I see fireworks for burial. There are some times you go to school and see that 70% of your students are not in class and when you ask why they'll say "sir dem don go for bury down (burial)"

I agree wit u.in front of almost al d houses dre u wil c a burial program banner

Guy that's my village,so happy to read you mention afrike 1 my ancestral home.Hope you had a nice time bro.

MadCow1:



11. The Men are very lazy.. The women of the state are more hard working than the men.

12. The state has no real economic potential. As a fresh graduate, the opportunities in the sate are next to none.

Are the men lazy? Subjective. Are the women more hardworking? DEFINITELY. The women are obviously always busier than the men. They even do more farm work. The men revel in polygamy and D1ck measuring on the number of children they have.

I served in cross river as well, calabar to be precise 14C.

people go to work around 6:30pm in the evening and when I say work, I mean grooving. A typical cross river man is very lazy. the women dictate the pace for them. all they know how to do is groove groove and groove.

the most happening place in town is atekong drive off Marian road. if you've not bin there, yhu are wrong lol. I mean, the money people spend on oloshos and in the beer parlours around there can eradicate poverty in Nigeria for good.

calabar south is seen as the hood for gangsters and there's a set of boys called the "skolombo boys' who are the most dreaded group.

hotels are everywhere in calabar. the people there lack a whole lot of business sense.

CDS was fun for me cos I didn't have to wear my khaki there. I was the Crosskopa no1 goalkeeper.

shout out to other CrossKopa14C here present.

B2mario:


Oga when I saw this I was short of words. In which area is cross river better than Abia, is it in Education, development, commerce and industry? Calabar is very beautiful which i can not dispute. Calabar is more beautiful than Aba and even Umuahia but Aba is more developed and advanced than calabar, Umuahia is beautiful on it's own.

Abia state is very developed, beside Aba and Umuahia, Abia state has many cities and towns like Ohaofia, Abiriba, Arochukwu, uzoakoli, Uturu, Azumiri, Bende etc.

Cross river is better than Abia in the area of tourism but can't compete with Abia in the area of education, development(esp. rural development) commerce and industry.

People that served in the two states can bear me witness.

obviously the guy is high on "Ogoja palm-wine"
if not for good neighborhoodlines, na to send Ohaofia war-lords across the boundary with Abia to just overrun them